What is KH in THF?

[EECStoMed]

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What is KH in THF? I know that THF is an ether, tetrahydrofuran, but what is KH?

 

[GTsquirrel]

potassium hydride?

 

[EECStoMed]

Do you know what it does though?

 

[rcd]

Do you know what it does though?

KH is a super-strong base. You use it to deprotonate stuff (knock the most easily accessible acidic H+ off of stuff).

You can't solve it in water or you'll just get the much weaker base OH- (hence the THF).

 

[Kraazy]

Sounds like potassium hydride. K+ forms an ionic bond with the H-, which is the most badass base ever (at leas on MCAT)